66ers Outlast Ports in 11-9 Win in 11 Innings

Stockton, CA- The Inland Empire 66ers of San Bernardino outlasted the Stockton Ports with a 11-9 win in 11 innings on Thursday at Banner Island Ballpark. The Sixers overcame a 7-2 deficit to push the game to extra frames and collected three consecutive RBI hits with two outs in the 11th to vault ahead and improve to 50-49 on the season.

Arol Vera, playing in his first game with the Sixers got Inland Empire on the board in the first as he led off the game with a hit, stole second, moved to third on a flyout and scored on a wild pitch from Ports’ starter Gerald Garcia giving IE a 1-0 lead. The Ports tied it in the first on TJ Schofield-Sam’s solo homer, his eighth, off IE starter Jack Kochanowicz. Junior Perez made it 2-1 Ports in the second tagging a solo shot, his sixth. Inland Empire tied the game 2-2 in the fourth aided by a two-base error on a missed fly ball to Stockton RF Kevin Richards. The Ports seemingly took control in the fourth when Zack Gelof delivered a RBI single and then Brayan Buelvas drilled a line-drive grand slam to left building the lead to 7-2. Inland Empire fought back in the seventh however as Cade Cabbiness tagged a solo homer, his fifth, off Angello Infante to right making it 7-3. The Sixers again were helped by the Ports who dropped two more fly balls for errors in the frame and after D’Shawn Knowles delivered a RBI single for the Sixers, IE had trimmed the deficit to 7-5. Gabe Matthews the smoked a triple off the wall in center to tie the game 7-7. The game remained tied until the tenth when Paxton Wallace’s RBI single gave the Sixers a 8-7 lead but the Ports tied the game on Gelof’s RBI single and then loaded the bases but Ryan Costeiu struck out Ports’ DH CJ Rodriguez to push the game to the 11th. After two quick outs in the 11th, Sixers’ 18-year-old catcher Edgar Quero rolled a ball through the right side to give the Sixers a 9-8 lead. Jose Guzman followed with a RBI double and then he scored on Vera’s RBI base-hit for a 11-8 advantage against Ports righty Aaron Cohn (0-1). Emilker Guzman came in to close in the 11th and a run came home on an error. The Ports ended up with runners at second and third trailing 11-9 but Guzman struck out Gelof to end the game and snag his 11th save. Costeiu was credited with his first pro win.

The series continues Friday at 7:05pm. The contest can be heard live on 66ers.com.